This blog was designed to discusss problems around housing the homeless in Australia and to create innovative new housing options. Written from the viewpoint of a rooming house operator. It will be a no nonsence expose of what is really happening behind closed doors whilst we await the decisions of DHS Inquiry into Rooming Houses. Will also cover my views on tax, banking, economic policy issues in both Australia and USA.

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Sunday, 8 April 2012

I have come to the conclusion that the Victorian State Government created the very problem private rooming houses are experiencing today with mental patients causing disruption after being accepted on little information from local welfare agencies into the rooming houses because there is nowhere else to house them after the Kennet Government closed down mental institutions some years ago. Someone can correct me if i am wrong but this is the best recollection I have in a change of government policy when Jeff Kennett decided to close down institutions and sell off the valuable real estate and also save $millions in wages too.

The welfare agencies have hundreds of patients coming in every day especially this month as we get into the winter season. Some of these people are very dangerous yet the social workers are secretly keeping the vital safety information from Rooming House landlords and thereby risking the security and welafre of many other people in their enthusiasm to assist the homeless.

Who is to blame for this sorry state of affairs. ??

We cant blame the government for the mental health issues of its citizens, but we can blame the government who previously had accepted the responsibility to look after such people in mental institutions but then decided to close them down because of the high cost involved.

The worst aspect of this goverment policy change has been the systematic transfer of the blame onto the private rooming house operators who have and continue to be tricked by social workers backed by government policy operatives to try to intergrate these people back into society without any real who success but are also either knowingly or unknowingly not only perpertrating a crime of deceit but also are conspiring with the government to blame the private operators for them alledgedly preying on these vunerable people we dont really want.

We dont not have the facilities or staff to house these seriously mentally ill people. We only provide rooms for able bodied people who can behave and look after their own cooking washing etc in a community of other similar type people. We charge a reasonable charge which covers rental and utilities, central heating and cleaning of common areas. We are unable to employ staff to police or manage mentally ill people ....that is the role of the mental health wards of hospitals and other medical professionals.

The local welfare agencies have a different role to ours...they want to house everyone that goes through their doors every day and will do all they can to provide shelter for such people even if it means lying to landlords just to get them off their books. Some of their clients are evicted often from their placement houses due to their behavioural problems and their inability to live with other people harmoniously, yet the social workers keep trying over and over again sometimes every few weeks knowing they wont last long.

From my experience most of these people suffer from various mental health issues some self inflicted and some genetic for lack of a better explanation. Some display symptoms of criminal insanity or just bad behaviour cause by use of various illicit drugs over several years or alcoholism which is another reason for mental instability which make this class of potential tenant unsuitable for communal living. Many of these people have no family who are prepared to provide accommodation ...they are basically rejects of both their family, friends and society generally. There is usually very good reasons why no one wants to live with them and in my view they should not be assisted with deceit by government or social workers by putting other people's security at further risk.

I have come to the conclusion that they need to learn by experiencing a cold winter sleeping on the streets,,,maybe the only way they might learn to conform to basic norms for living in small communities in Rooming Houses. If they wont conform...then expect to live on a park bench. You might think that a bit harsh...however you might come to the same conclusion if you had my experience dealing with these people over the years.

Of course as I often suggest...the social workers themselves or the politicians who make the silly rules like a house with 4 people or more is regarded as a Rooming House with a string of regulations to comply with....that they.might like to offer their own houses and families to provide housing and comforts for these street wise thieves, criminals and nut cases.

After making my 20 page submission to the inquiry into Rooming Houses recently carried out by the Human Services Dept, i am rather dissapointed on the lack of action from them and the Liberal Party who have have been too lazy by not overturning the secret police Gestapo spy type regulations brought in by the previous government of using Consumer Affairs and councils to enforce the 4 people rule. This could technically result in a two bedroom unit could be designated as a Rooming House. I believe the rule should be raised to a 7 people two storey houses.

Im even annoyed that those businesses who pay for insurance have had their Fire Levies increased from 50% to now 82% so that 50% of all insurance premiums are for Fire Ley, Stamp Duty and GST.This a big impost for small or large businesses to have to put up with. Why should the people who pay for insurance be the only ones to have to pay for fire protection and not other people who dont pay for insurance? The Labour Party idea of putting a smaller levy on all properties was a much better idea but I have my doubts that the lazy Socialist Liberal Party will change anything there either.

Anyway after a long period without a laptop, I've now got a new cheap laptop so i can start writing and complaining again when i have time and enthusiasm.